Improvement in lozenge-machines



3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. ROBERTSON.

LOZENGE-MACHINE.

Patented Jan.-4, 1876.

'fzrazam r i y N. PETERS. ENOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

T. ROBERTSON. LozENGE-MACHINE.

1=atente1lJann.4,1875.v

N. Pl. PHOTOJJTHDGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT QEEIoE.

THOMAS ROBERTSON, OF'TORONTO, CANADA.

-' IMPROVEMENT IN LOZENGEQMACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 171,699, dated January 4, i876 Vapplication led 4 July 17, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS ROBERTSON, of the city of Toronto, Province of Ontario, Canada, manufacturer, have invented an Improved Lozenge-Making Machine, ot' which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to the manufacture of printed and plain lozenges, and may be divided into four principal parts, viz:

First, printing the paste as it lies on the cutting-board. This is accomplished by a printing block or head, with adjustable dies affixed, attached to sliding standard, and

`Worked by a suitable arrangement of levers.

Second, cutting` the sheet of paste as it lies on the cutting-board, either after printing or When plain, into lozen ges ofany desired shape or size. This is accomplished by the action of adjustable hollow dies or cutters, afiixed to a cutting-head, to which a reciprocating up-anddown motion is given by a pair ot' revolving wheels, each having an eccentric channel sunk in its face, in combination with sliding side standards, to which the cutting-head is attached. Third, removing the lozen ge, when cut, from the hollow dies, and placing them regularly on suitable drying-frames. This part of m-y invention is eiected by the action of pushers, attached to a reciprocating horizontal frame,

which push the lozenges, as they are crowdedy up through and above the top of the die at each cut, onto a traveling shelf or conveyer, which, Worked by rack and pinion, as more particularly specified hereafter, deposits each set of lozenges cut in each revolution on frames,

covered With bolting-cloth or other suitable material.

Fourth, feeding the cutting-boards and drying-frames forward automatically. This portion of my invention is performed by the ac-y tion of an eccentric, keyed to a revolving shaft, in combination with, and Working Within the end oi', a pivoted lever, Whose opposite'end llits in a toothed track sunk in the bottonr ofl the' cutting-boards.

In the accompanying draW-ings, Figure ljis a side View of my machine, embodying only the printing, cutting, and conve-yin g vmechanism, want of space compelling the drawings, Figs. 9 andlO, oi' the lozenge-molding appa'- ratus to be placed above lon the saine sheet; but it must be distinctly understood, that the frame ot' the machine is continuous throughl A is Ithe frame of the machine, constructed,

as shown, of iron orother material, consisting of two sides, connected by bolts and girders. At or near the center of the machine is placed the mechanism for cutting the Y lozenges; at the front end, the printing apparatus; at the rear end, the molding mechanism. The paste is received on the woodcutting-board L, in an evenly-spread and regular sheet, froin a pair of rollers placed at the front end ot' themachine. The cutting-boards L are'rabbetcld out near the edge, and `tit on guidesfL, which extend the Wholelength of the machine, and are yfastened to a broad iiange castl on the top of the sides. Inthe center ot' the bottom .ofthe cutting-boards L atoothed rack, Z, is inserted. K2 is the printing head or block, fastened at each end to the upright slidin'gstandards K.v

To K2 are' attached the adjustable printingdies K1, having on' their underl faces the mot-l toes or designs to be printed.V .Any convenient number of mottoesmay be placed on one die. la' are 'die-spindles, Aaround which' are placedA spiral springs, for regulating the press ureon each die, and also the pressure that 4canY be applied in printing the inottoes on the paste.' The compressive strain on these springs is` regulated by a nut on the'spi-ndle above the printing-block'KZ. The standards K are connected by al wide cross-girder,

. K4, which is attachedv in the center to the lever K3, by which the' standards fand 'attachments are operated'. y

The Weight ot' the head, &c., can be connrter-balanced by a'weight or by frictioiiL are three bevel-wheels attached 'to' 'ashattand operated by the handle K5. yThe elidWhcls gear into wheels which are attached to short shafts, on which are placed spur-wheels, which fitinto atoothed rack sunk in lthe bottom of the cutti 11g-boards. K2 is a spring-stop, which ts into notches sunk in the under side of the cutting-boards, and is withdrawn by means of the lever k2. These notches are sunk at regular intervals to agree with the width of the dies K1. l

The object of the spur-wheels and stop .isto enable the operator to cause the cutting-boards L to travel regularly forward after printing a portion of the sheet, and to` stop exactly in theright place for "the nektimpression on the sheet. The front spur wheel propels the boards forward nearlytheir whole length; the

next wheel then catches them and forces them iforward under-the cutting-dies.

Bis the driving-shaft of machine, revolv 'ing in suitable bearings, on ,which are atlxed the driving-pulley Bl, with`clutch-coupling, ily-wheel B3, and pinion B2, gearing into the wheel B4, attached to the counter-shaft C.

0n the ends of the shaft C outside ofthe frame A are attached the wheels D. An eccentric channel, d, is sunk in these wheelson the inner face, in -which are placed at the top -o`f the channels the friction-rollers d1, attached iby apin in `the usual lwayto the standards-E.

Ajs the wheels revolve an up-and-down recip-` rocating motion is imparted to the standards jE, working within 'the guides E3, and all their connections, the length and character of the strokedepending `on :the shape of the eccentric channel d. Where the friction-roller pins connect with E adjustable slid-ingboxes E2 are placed. 'These boxes are adjusted byv the screws c, and are pressed down upon a rubber hearingyel. The tops El` of the standards E are made to 'hinge for convenience in puttin g infand "taking out the cutter-heads F. When ythe heads F are in position they are secured by theiscrewse2. N are Vthehollow cutters or dies, attached to the head F by countersunk screws.V Thesecutters may be of any desired `-shape orsize, but mustbe hollow in order that eachllozen ge as it is cutmay force the lozenges cut before itone thickness up.

`From this it will be seen that eachrevolu` tion of thewheels D forces one set of lozenges above the cutters, whence they are removed, as hereinafter specified.

The peculiar shape of the eccentricchannel d is oneof the features of my invention. By it I am enabled not only Vto lower and raise the cutting-head F, but alsoto keep the cutting` head stationary a suicient length of tmewhen atthe top of the stroke'to enable the pushers "g `to lremove the lozenges and retire. The channel d `operates both head and pushers, actuating the'lhead when the pushers are at rest, and vice versa.

In no machinethat 1I am acquainted with is the cutting-head stationary when the lozenges areremoved. The cutters N are another peculiar feature. Y v

The base n holds thelozenges'until they are forced up by each succeeding set abovethe rim. The holder is attached to theihead by stems n', leaving the front and `rear of the cu tters open above the base, thus allowing the pushers g (see Fig. 5) to pass above the base and between the stems, shoving the lozenges o ut on `the shelf i3.

Working at the bottom of the eccentric channels d are the friction-rollers d2, Fig. 6, attached to the pivotedflevers D1, which are connected to the frame G, as shown in Fig. 5.

This connection, when the machine is in operation, imparts to G a horizontal `reciprocating motion, the length of the Vstroke being regulated by the length of the arms D1, and `is timed so that the pushers g, Fig. 5, which are attached to G, come forward when the head F has risen and shove the uppermost set of lozenges on the shelf i3, and retire again. before the head begins `to descend on t stroke. t

To each endV of the sliding frame G are `attached the lifters H, havingthe inflected slot h1. H is the lifting-bar, worked by means of the bearings h2, placed within the slothl. This bar follows the cutters on their upward stroke, and, pressing against their base, lifts up the lozenges which are inclined to drop. h are rods attached to the lifting-bar H at one end, the other end passing through a holecut in an upright standard. Around Hare coiled spiral springs,pressing at one end against the bar H, the other endspressing against the standards. The object of these rods is to cause the bar H to rise, by means of the bearings h2 in the inflected slots hl, before the frame G has reached the end of its forward stroke. The springs hold the bar H in position duringthe operation. The end of h is threaded and titted with a nut, so that the bar may be caused torise at anypart of the stroke. To the front of the bar H is attached, by thumbscrews, the guard h3. This guard is so arranged and cut that, when the cutters N are down, it tits closely around and between the cutters, and prevents thepaste clinging to the cutters when they rise. The position of this guard above the paste can be regulated by thumb-screws. D2, Fig. l, isa toothed arc of a circle, having a slotted,leg,d4, connected to and worked from the revolving wheel D4 by the rod d3. Gearing into D2 is the wheel D3, fastened to a crossshaft,on which is keyed the toothed wheel D4. D5 is a curved rack, with teeth gearing into the wheel D4. l From the above description and` an inspection of the drawing it will be seen that as the wheel D revolves areciprocating horizontal motion is imparted to the rack D5, which motion can be regulated by moving the position of the connection on d4.'

Cross-heads are attached at each end of the rack, and bear upon curved guides J. These guides extend up to the cutting-head F, and` have a suitable stop on the ends, as shown.` rlhe guides are connected to the frame A, and

held in proper position by the bearings j. c I,

next t Figs. 5 and 6, is thefront cross-head of the rack D3, each side having a pairof lugs drooping below the bearing, through which pass'the rods the latter being `connected to the lozenge conveyer or shelf 3 by hinged joints a'. Around the rods between the cross-head and shelf 3, are coiled spiral springs, the other endsof the rods being threaded and fitted with nuts to adjust the springs. I is an independent carriage, which carries the guard 1 and flocking-latches 3. The guard l is thrown up, coming forward, by horns 4. The latches 3, which lock the carriage I and shelf 3l together,I are lifted, at the end of the stroke, by a projection, j', fitted on one of the slidebearings at each side. To describe this rpart of my invention, we will suppose that one set of lozenges ha\'e just been deposited on the frames and the machine has commenced an- Aother stroke. The horns 4 lift the guard 1,

and the independent carriage I' is back from the shelf 3. The several parts keep thisposition during the whole stroke until 3 stops against the turned-up yends ofthe guides J, and fits up lclose against the dies N, which have risen to their proper height. TheV rack D5. not yet being at the end of the-stroke, the springs coiled on compress and allow, and are adjusted -to allow, the parts I, I', and to approach and touch each other. When they do tovuch,'the rack is at the end of the stroke, the-lozenge has been delivered on the shelf 3 by the pushers g, andthe latches 3 lock the independent carriage ll!y and the shelf 3 together. The rackhow vbegins to recede; but

the compressive strength of the coiled spring keeps I' and 3 stationaryuntil the rear lug on 1 strikes the nut-on` the end of when all go back together.

, As the cross-heads recede, the horns 4 release the `guard 1, which falls down on 'the front ofthe shelf 3, and prevents the lozenges falling off. When the back end of the stroke is reached, the' latches 3 are lifted by the vprojections j', releasing the independent carriage' If, the lozengesv still remaining jon the shelf 3. The rack D5 now begins its forward stroke, and 3, being connected by the rods moves with it; but. I', having no connection, remains stationary until the front of track strikes it. 'Il he latch 3, resting ou 3, holds the lozenges while thejshelf moves from underneath. The lozenges falling o n the frame L3 below are shoved up into position on the next back stroke of the rack.

The guides J are curved, in. order to bring the-lozenges from the level of the cutters N to the level of the frames, so that they will fall but a short distance when th'e shelf 3 moves away. The lozenges do not always fall regularly in a transverse direction from the shelf, but on the next back stroke the rear of I pushes them forward a short distance, placing them exactly in line. The object of this `will be seen hereafter. v

v.The frames L3 are covered with bolting-cloth or other porous material, in ,order to facilitate the passage of air tothe lozen ges for drying. l

These boards, when they are covered with lozenges, are placed in a drying-rack.

In the center of the shaft C, Fig. 1,.is affixedy an eccentric, c, over which passes the open end of the pivoted lever C. C is pivoted on a bracket, Y, fastened to the girder a.

The upperv end of G has attached a springpawl, c3, with latch-point tting ,into the rack-l 'l, let in the bottom of the cutting-boards The length of the upper and lower lever-*arms jot' C is so arranged that ateach revolutionof the shaft C one notch of the rack 'l' is fed forward.v The length of these notches agrees with the width of the lozenges, allowing some space, of course, for the cutters to clear themy selves at each stroke. The cutting-boards butt against the receiving-frames, and the forward motion is thus communicated `to the frames, impelling them the exact distance required for the clear deposit of each new row of lozen ges. M is a system of levers, worked from a cam placed on the outside of the wheels D, which operate a horizontal bar, lVI, giving to it an up-and-down motion.

When the lozenges are shoved forward 0111 the shelf 3 .by the pushers g, from the nature' of the'paste they are apt to stick to the pushers. This bar, just at the turn of the stroke, comes quickly down upon, and lightly but sufiiciently presses the lozenges, and holds them yuntil g begins to recede, when it isl lifted outofthe way.

A1 is the frame which supports the pressing or lozenge-holding headslD P. Itis attached at the rear of A, and forms a part of it. When the lozenges L3 are to be pressed' .or molded,"

they are deposited from .the cutters onto frames made of wood, instead of bolting-cloth, but in every other respect similarly placed. The "molding-heads P and rollers lO3 are of such a length that they take in oneI entire row In the heads P are sunk two rows of holes, p, directly opposite' to each other, and at a distance apart that exactly agrees with the lozenges L3 on the frames L3.. U is a hinged bar, attached to a frame sliding on the guides U3, and operated by the handles u. t3 are tingers fastened below the bar U, with curved ends which it and are adjusted to tit 'exactly at the rear of the lozenges. t1 are adjustable stops placed on the sides U3, which center the rows of lozenges immediately between the holes p. O5 are the shafts of the rollers, re-

volving in suitable bearings, to one end of whichare attached .pulleys for turning the endless bands. T is a starebber, with a botfom of bolting-cloth. S is a board containing a suitable depth of starch, and into which the lozenges fall after being molded. S is placed on an under board, S1, which slides on `guides Si, iandyis arranged to feed automatically for-` ward *by means of a lever and spring-pawl attachment, Q41, connected to the cross-bar Q, and working in connection with theV toothed rackzs, sunk in the lower side of S1.

Having now described the parts, I will describe the operation; The successful working of zthe heads P is entirely dependent on the accurate location of the lozenges L3 on the frames L. The conveyer i3 and its attachments deposit the lozenges so regularly on theiframes that there is not the difference of the breadth of a hair in the'position of each lozenge in any` direction, and without this eX- actness they could not be molded properly. The operator liftsvthe bar U, pulls it forward, and, loweringit, places the fingers u2 behind the lozenges. The fingers are arranged to take every second lozenge in two rows, and the holes p correspond. 'The `operator then slides the lozenges forward untilithe frame U1 strikes the stop u1. `He then withdraws the frame, and forces the upper head down by the foot-lever R, with the required pressure on the lozenges; `the lozeng'es sink in the holes p, and areimolded to correspond.` The rubber bands,

4 from their nature, doy not stick to the lozenges,

and at the Sametime always spring up out of the holes p, loosening the lozenges when the pressure is withdrawn. `The lower bandalso acts as a conveyer, carrying 'the finished 1ozenges away when the rollers are turned by the handles at the end. The bands are kept well dusted with fine starch-powder, to prevent any possibility of the lozenges sticking to the rubber. This dust is supplied by two boxes, one above, at T, and another placed on the frame U1, the shock of the lever R, as it returns, showering the dust in-a spray on the bands.`

.After each set of `lozenges is pressed, thel bands are moved arounduntil a fresh surface 4on each is stretchedover the holes p. The y finished lozenges fall from the lower band into the starch-board. y

Lozenges while soft are of a delicate nature, and lose their shape veryieasily. Falling into soft starch they retain the form given -tothem. i i

The starch-board moves a tooth forward as each set is pressed, thus giving a clearspace` in the starch for the next set to fall upon.

`Theheads P are made to slide in and out,

sothat any desired form of hole can be used for `molding the lozenges.

11n regard to that part of the `mechanism herein described which constitutes the appai ratus `for molding, Imake no claim therefor at present, but reserve such im provementsfor a-subsequent application.`

l. The driving-shaft B, driving-pulley B1,

ing adjustable boxes E, to which `t-he rollers d1 are attached, the 'top of the said standards also `being hinged and slotted to `lit over the ends ot' the head F,and held' in place by i screws e2, allV arranged and operatingsub-1 stantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

2. Thecutter-head F, with dies N attached, to which a reciprocating up-and-downmotion is given in the manner described, but held stationary during the time thatithe pushers g` areoperating, substantially as described, and

for the purpose specified.

3. The hollow cutters or dies N, constructed as shown, with the base n, side `stems n', and

open at the front and rear above the base, at-

tached to the head F, to which a reciprocating upvand-down motion is given, arranged and operating substantialiyas described, and for vthe purpose specified.

'4. The pivoted levers `D1,connected toand worked from the `eccentric `channels d in the wheels D bythe friction-rollers dz, the recip rocating sliding frame G, having attached the lifters H, with Vin'ected channels h1, bar H,

with end bearings h2, having connected the rods and spiral springsjh, in combinationwith the cutters F, arranged and operating sub` stan'tially as described,land for the purpose specified.

5. The pivoted levers DI, connected to andI worked from the eccentric channels d in the wheels D by the friction-rollers dz, the recipe` rocatin g sliding framelG, having attachedthe adjustable pushers g, in combination with the cutters F, arranged and operating substantially as described, and for the purpose speci-1 `fied. A

6. The cams m', attached to the outsideof the wheels D, in combination with the system of levers M and M', arranged and operating substantially as described, and for the purpose specilied. i 1

7. The eccentric c, fastened to the revolving shaft C, pivoted lever C', with spring-pawl 02,1 in combination with'the toothed rack l,sunk in the lower side ofthe cutting-boards L, ar-` ranged and `operating substantially as de scribed, and'for the purpose specied.

8. The pivotedtoothed quadrant D, with" leg d4,;connected to and operated from there-1 volving wheel D by the connecting-rod d3, the toothed wheelD3'and D, incombinationwith y the toothed rack D5, having the cross-head I, and working on the curved guides J, arranged and operating substantially as described, and for the purpose specified. y

9. y i The reciprocating shelf t3, inlcombination with the cutter-head F and the pushers g, arw ranged and operating substantially as dei scribed, andi for the pur-pose* specified.`

10. The independent carriage l', having the operating substantially as described, and for hinged guard il attached, and operated by the the purpose speeied.

horns i, in combination withthe shelf i3, arf ranged and operating substantially as de- THOMAS ROBERTSON.

scribed, and for the purpose specied, Witnesses:

11. The hinged latch i2, attached to I', in GEO. A. AIRD, combination with the shelf i3, arranged and 00N. W. LALLY. 

